How to Help Victims and Recovery of Mexican Earthquake

The recent Mexican earthquakes devastated the Mexican states of Chiapas, Morelos, Oaxaca and Puebla on Tuesday afternoon. Mexico City was hit the hardest, where right now volunteers are working around the clock to restore infrastructure and rescue children trapped in collapsed buildings. What is so freaky is that this earthquake happened exactly 32 years to the day of the 1985 Mexican earthquake that killed over 10,000 people.

Below are some images and links you can visit to provide assistance.

The largest organization assisting down in Mexico City is The Mexican Red Cross. The Mexican Red Cross has multiple teams assisting in search and rescue operations following Tuesday’s 7.1 magnitude earthquake in Mexico. Right now, dozens of Mexican Red Cross teams are searching for survivors, transporting the injured to hospitals and providing first aid on the scene.

Once there, you have the choice to give via Paypal, Credit Card or Bank Transfer.

The Mexican Red Cross also has an Amazon Wish List Page for supplies. That link is here.

Another fantastic organization that is trusted to provide support after disasters around the world is UNICEF. The United Nations Children’s Fund is accepting donations for Mexican earthquake survivors through their website.

Actress Salma Hayek even donated $100,000 and started a fundraiser through the crowdfunding site CrowdRise.

Diego Luna and Gael García Bernal are joining forces with Ambulante to raise urgently needed funds to rebuild hospitals, schools and homes that have been severely affected by this disaster. Ambulante is their non-profit documentary film festival they launched over a decade ago, which also has organized community programs all over Mexico for the past 12 years. Ambulantewill receive and distribute 100 percent of the funds directly to local organizations and social initiatives dedicated to helping those most affected by this catastrophe. You can donate via their Omaze page.

Since then, these Topos – “Moles” – have helped in earthquakes from Nepal to Iran. They have earned a worldwide reputation and have assisted other countries after earthquakes in Japan (1995), Colombia (1999), Haiti (2010) among others.

Even though they come from many professions, they are still an unpaid force. They do receive regular training in first aid, moving through and around collapsed buildings and fighting fires.

One of the most iconic things about this group is that they were the ones that
started the signal of putting their arms in the air, balling their fists.

That signal means: Be silent. We think we hear something.

In fact, volunteers down in Mexico have already begun following similar rules and released an emoji-laden sign explaining some of the signals. Take a look at it here:

Please Consider The Following When Donating:

The AeroMexico airline will transport donated necessities from the Los Angeles airport free of charge to Mexico City. Below is a list of what items they can take:

Disposable Gloves

Gauzes

N. 18, 14, 16 20 and 22 Needles

Electrodes

3-way wrench

5 ml and 10 ml syringes

Facemasks

10 cm bandages

Surgical Brushes

Medical tape

Micropore

Surgical Dressing

IV Catheters

For safety reasons, they ask that you do not donate rubbing alcohol, hand sanitizer, aerosoles, insecticides, bleach, cleaners, oxygenated water or chemical products.

You may donate these articles in sacks, cardboard boxes, plastic bags, crates, containers, etc. (with the exception of egg cartons). They ask that the linear dimensions be less than 80 x 80 x 80 cm and with an individual weight of less than 50 kg.

These should be labeled “Humanitarian Aid” for the National Center for Epidemics and Disasters (CENACED).

We have noticed that donations of canned food are welcome down in Mexico City, and to assure that the donation is going to those that need it most, local volunteers recommend writing messages of hope and support on the cans directly. It’s a simple yet human touch.

The courage and perseverance of the Mexican people are being severely tested right now and any assistance that can be provided will be most welcome in this difficult time. Please share this post with your family and friends and even small actions or donations can go a long way to providing relief and assurance for those in need.